A $1 million infusion to expand production and commercialization of Offbeast’s plant-based steak filets suggests reports of the alternative meat category’s demise may be greatly exaggerated.
Yes, parts of the plant-based meat sector have struggled to meet consumer expectations around taste, texture, nutrition and price. But as weaker players consolidate or exit, space is opening up for the next generation of companies, like Offbeast, that are bringing new technology to long-standing challenges.
With backing from the Japanese VC fund Global Brain, which closed in the back half of 2025, the Baltimore-based startup is scaling its proprietary cross-fiber assembly technology while helping to reinvigorate a category many had written off. At the same time, it’s creating jobs in a region that’s felt recent economic pressure – underscoring how investment in startups can also be an investment in communities.
The tech: How Offbeast overcame stubborn texture challenges
Unlike other plant-based meat brands that are struggling with sales declines, Offbeast is growing fast – in part because it offers something few competitors can but which consumers crave: whole cuts with a texture that closely mimics its animal-based counterparts.
“We are making premium plant-based steaks with an authentic texture,” including “real fibers and marbling,” which are “incredibly difficult to mimic,” and significantly different from the ground-based patties and sausages that dominate the market, explained Offbeast Founder Insa Mohr.
She explained that Offbeast created a proprietary technology called cross fiber assembly, which shreds and bundles plant fibers made from soy and wheat the same way that hair-thin muscle fibers are bundled in animal proteins. This includes “randomness” in the bundles that more closely aligns with nature, which Mohr jokes is “not super technical and heterogeneous.”
Offbeast’s cross fiber assembly evolved from the company’s initial 3D printing, which Mohr said gave the company “high control of fibers” but was too capital-intensive to scale efficiently.
“Now we’re doing 3D printing without a 3D printer,” Mohr said. “We still managed to use fibers in the same way that build muscle fibers, but in a way that produces much more output at a smaller capital expenditure, which is a huge metric in the industry that you have to get right,” she said.
Taste and nutrition as proof points
Offbeast also stands out from the competition for its taste and nutrition.
Unlike some competitors which are criticized for having genetically modified ingredients or less protein than their animal counterparts, Offbeast packs 29 grams of plant-based protein into a 4-ounce steak, which is the same as in 4 ounces of ground beef, 2 grams of saturated fat compared to 11 grams in a traditional ribeye, 0 mg of cholesterol compared to 100 mg in a traditional ribeye and is non-GMO.
It also touts the filets as “melt-in-your-mouth,” which comes not just from the texture but from the vegetable oils – including coconut – and natural flavors.
Offbeast opens new production facility
Once the company perfected its technique it quickly scaled production of its filet mignon beyond the capacity of its first two facilities – prompting it to acquire and convert a 17,000-square-foot former chicken plant in northwest Baltimore in 2025.
“We are proud to put money into Baltimore and support the infrastructure here,” as well as hire local residents, said Mohr, who noted that while Baltimore has a lot to offer businesses, it currently struggles with deindustrialization that have led to regional job insecurity and economic strain.
The new facility can produce up to 250 tons, but currently Offbeast only makes about 55 tons – giving it significant headroom for growth.
The new facility was possible in part thanks to a $1 million investment by the Japanese VC fund Global Brain, which Mohr said she sees as a “strategic partnership” that could open doors for Offbeast’s plant-based meat in new markets and for application of its technology beyond food.
“We see this as huge validation marker” of our product and underlying technology, Mohr said.
Next steps
Beyond the factory, the funds will support commercial expansion, Mohr said.
Currently, Offbeast offers two SKUs. The first is a filet mignon, which is positioned as a premium product and available direct-to-consumer online. Offbeast is eager to use funds from its recent round to expand into retail, which includes steps such as recently redesigning the packaging to better highlight key callouts and showcase the product on front of pack.
The second SKU is a more cost-effective cubed version of its steak, which is available to food service providers. Mohr explained that Offbeast’s steak bites are versatile and affordable for food service at about $3.19 a pound, which she said is less than competitors at scale.
Mohr is optimistic about Offbeast’s future despite broader softness in the plant-based meat category, largely because the company operates in a segment with limited competition: whole-cut products. She also credits the brand’s direct-to-consumer business with helping build a loyal customer base eager to evangelize the product.
